Before And After: Elderly Woman 'Restores' Prized Church Fresco (PHOTOS)

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The Huffington Post UK

Ah, this is all rather unfortunate. And also a tiny bit funny.

A woman in her 80s has caused an unholy furore after making an unauthorised attempt to restore a prized 100-year-old fresco at the Sanctuary of Mercy Church in Borjanas, Spain.

The well-meaning parishioner decided to launch the repair job after spotting that the fresco of Christ - by Elias Garcia Martinez - had suffered considerable moisture damage.

The result? From left to right, the pictures above show what the wall painting looked like in its original glory, after the water damage and following its unsolicited 'restoration'...

Is it wrong of us to say we like the restored picture best? Yes, probably.

According to the BBC's Europe correspondent Christian Fraser, the once-dignified portrait "now resembles a crayon sketch of a very hairy monkey in an ill-fitting tunic." Others have suggested it looks like a movie werewolf.

Meanwhile, a local Catholic cultural foundation, the Centro de Estudios Borjanos, has revealed it recently received a donation from the original artist's granddaughter to help restore the fresco to its former glory.

Experts will now try to work out if the woman's handiwork can be reversed. And if it can't be fixed, they plan to cover the spot on the wall with a photograph of the original.

Right, we've got to dash: we're just nipping off to Artex a ceiling in the Vatican...